All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Carlo Ancelotti is set for regret in Everton’s chase of the ideal partner for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with SSC Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik reportedly seduced by a move to AS Roma.

What’s the word?

According to Corriere dello Sport, Roma have continued to court Milik since the closure of the summer market, having failed to strike an agreement with Napoli that would have allowed the outcast Poland striker to leave the San Paolo Stadium.

The Giallorossi had come to a total understanding with Milik, who travelled to the Italian capital for his obligatory medical checks, before seeing a route out of Napoli slammed shut despite Roma offering €25million (£22.3m) for the 2021-free agent.

Contact has remained ongoing between the striker and Stadio Olimpico natives, who have a €5m-a-year (£86,115-p/w) deal ready for Milik to sign through to 2025, but Roma intend to renegotiate terms with Napoli given the 26-year-old’s expiring contract.

Roma are willing to hold out and sign Milik in the summer for free, however doing so risks the forward’s place in Poland’s squad for next summer’s postponed Euro 2020 tournament after coach Jerzy Brzeczek urged a winter deal.

Milik, described as a “great striker” by Italian journalist Bruno Longhi in 2019, is yet to kick a ball under Gennaro Gattuso this season, with the Italian icon standing firm to his word that he believed the striker’s time in Naples was over at the end of the prolonged 2019/20 campaign.

“When a player believes his time at a club is over and he wants a change of scenery, you have to listen to him,” he told Sky Sport Italia, via quotes by Goal. “You can’t try to keep someone against their will, or it’s difficult to get them to listen or have the right mentality.”

Everton were linked with interest in Milik this summer but, like Roma, failed to get a deal across the line. And much like the Giallorossi, have remained attentive to the 56-cap forward’s situation with reports by The Sun claiming Ancelotti is eying a £10m January bid.

Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan are also noted to be interested in the attacker, who Ancelotti allegedly considers a top-class back-up to the in-form Calvert-Lewin after allowing Moise Kean to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan and being left underwhelmed by Cenk Tosun.

Ideal DCL partner?

With Ancelotti said to see Milik as the ideal back-up for Calvert-Lewin, Everton Director of Football Marcel Brands must negotiate a rocky path to acquire the Poland striker or risk leaving the Italian tactician regretting the Blues’ failure.

Ancelotti knows Milik well from his time in Naples, with it noted the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich coach has not forgotten the 26-year-old’s 28 goals in 56 games, including a hat-trick against Genk in the Champions League during his final match in charge.

In raiding his former club again, after the successful capture of Allan this summer, Ancelotti would also be reuniting with a player he lauded while in charge of Napoli, having claimed the striker is a more complete forward than Mauro Icardi amid links with the Argentine.

“Icardi is a great striker like Milik. The Pole, however, is more complete, even if the Argentine scores more in the box,” Ancelotti told Luna TV, via quotes by Calciomercato. “Talking about Icardi diminishes the value of Milik.”

Though Milik would arrive at Goodison Park very rusty having played no domestic football this season, leading to a lacklustre display for Poland as they lost 2-0 to Italy on Sunday.

Milik failed to register any efforts on goal or key balls following his introduction in the 74th-minute, per SofaScore, having also managed just one shot versus Bosnia & Herzegovina last month.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can solve a “concerning” situation with a decisive call on Everton’s £54k-p/w enforcer.

Having gone through a quiet transfer window last summer, Liverpool did end up reinforcing their squad in January earlier this year, bringing in Takumi Minamino from RB Salzburg.

The Japan international didn’t get too many opportunities to shine however, making just ten appearances in the Premier League, totaling only 242 minutes of football in the competition.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Against VfB Stuttgart in a pre-season friendly clash on Saturday afternoon, Jurgen Klopp brought Minamino on at half-time, stepping into the Roberto Firmino role as a false number nine.

And after seeing his performance, Liverpool fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.

A couple of Liverpool fans brought Firmino’s name into the conversation, with one supporter suggesting Minamino is the “back-up” they need for the Brazilian, and another even claiming that he’s the “perfect” long-term replacement for him.

Another supporter meanwhile pointed to how it took some time for Fabinho to settle into life at Anfield, and that perhaps Reds fans should be patient with Minamino too.

Having had a few months to acclimatise to life at Anfield, Liverpool fans may finally get to see the very best of Minamino next season.

The 25-year-old has the incredibly difficult job of trying to displace the likes of Firmino, Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane in the starting line-up, but as a potential rotation option to help Klopp navigate the multiple competitions the Reds will be involved in, he could be a game-changer.

Minamino looks ready to shine.

Sheffield United have now played their first two games of the Premier League season and it has not gone to plan as they have lost both and are yet to score.

This highlights why the club are keen on bringing another striker to the club, and despite their heavy interest in Rhian Brewster, they still have their eyes set on other targets and this has seen them turn their attention to another young forward in the division.

It was reported earlier in the window that the club had made an enquiry over Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun, but since then nothing else had been reported.

However Yorkshire Live highlight that their interest in the striker is still there and ‘United are in conversation with the London club and remain hopeful of a breakthrough in proceedings.’

This is a very interesting transfer as they also report that he only has one year left on his contract and has not shown any intention of signing a new deal, meaning that unless they accept an offer in this window or the next, they risk losing him for a fee to be set by a tribunal.

This type of signing would be a good one for the Blades if they could get him for a cheaper price as he is a young prospect and he could have gained a lot from experienced forwards David McGoldrick and Billy Sharp, and with them being in their 30’s, Balogun could have been seen as the future replacement for the two.

The player has a very good goal scoring tally for the youth sides at the Gunners, as he has managed 51 goals in 73 appearances, per Transfermarkt,

With Brewster reportedly available but for a fee close to £20 million, Balogun is definitely a cheaper alternative and with Yorkshire Live reporting that Wilder said you ‘go through the dance in terms of how much money and what it’s going to cost you.’, it looks like Balogun looks like a more likely option that the club can sign.

He definitely has some potential, so it would be interesting to see how he would fare playing in England’s top flight.

Blades fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Comment below!

Tottenham Hotspur continue to be linked to wingers despite the very impressive signing of Steven Bergwijn during the January transfer.

What’s the word?

According to Defensa Central, Real Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez could leave the La Liga champions with Spurs willing to offer €16m (£14.5m) for his services.

It’s claimed that the 29-year-old has been told by Zinedine Zidane that he’s the third choice for the right-sided spot behind Marco Asensio and Rodrygo, although Vazquez is more than happy to stay and help their title defence next season.

He’s suffered most this campaign after picking up a freak injury back in November, which had restricted him to just 839 minutes of league action all year.

N’jie, Nkoudou, Vazquez…

What is most perplexing is the fact that Jose Mourinho has a whole armoury of wide options at his disposal, especially on the right. The Portuguese chief is able to pick either Lucas Moura, Erik Lamela or Bergwijn to start there – and maybe even Gedson Fernandes, too.

Is a fifth option really necessary?

Given the club’s unsuccessful winger signings in recent seasons, Bergwijn has been a rare diamond having scored three goals and provided one assist, via WhoScored.

But for every Dutch sensation, there’s a Clinton N’Jie or Georges-Kevin Nkoudou that didn’t make the grade and in some ways, the former bears similarities to Vazquez.

The 26-year-old, who now plies his trade for Dynamo Moscow, arrived in north London for £8.3m but a combination of injuries and lacklustre displays saw him sold within two seasons.

N’Jie failed to score in 14 appearances for Spurs.

Meanwhile, Vazquez’s 24 goals in 205 matches for Los Galacticos is really nothing to shout home about either.

Two injury-prone players with very disappointing returns in front of goal.

Mourinho simply must steer clear of a swoop for his old Madridista colleague and avoid falling down the same winger traps his predecessor did.

AND in other news, Daniel Levy is setting Mourinho up for instant failure at Spurs…

Aston Villa have entered the race for one of the Premier League’s most in-demand youngsters and if they can snag him from their rivals, it would be very smart business indeed…

What’s the word?

According to the ECHO, the Midlands outfit have inquired about Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster over a potential loan switch this season.

The likes of Newcastle United, Brighton, Crystal Palace and newly-promoted Fulham have also been mooted with interest in the 20-year-old following a sensational spell at Swansea City in the Championship this term.

It’s claimed that the Premier League champions would sanction a move to either a Premier League club or a top European outfit, but he could also remain amongst the first-team setup for the new campaign.

Shades of Abraham

If Villa can clinch Brewster this summer, then it would certainly bring shades of Tammy Abraham back to Villa Park and would be a fruitful move for all parties involved.

The young Reds talisman only joined the Swans in January but went on to find the net 11 times, averaging 2.5 shots and 1.9 aerial duels won per game. He even won his temporary side 1.8 free-kicks per appearance too, via WhoScored.

In a similar vein, Abraham enjoyed successful spells away from Chelsea at Bristol City and the aforementioned Welsh club before linking up with Dean Smith’s side.

He quickly became a hit in the west Midlands after his 26 goals spearheaded Villa’s return to the top-flight. He has since gone on to become a mainstay under Frank Lampard.

Brewster’s time at the Liberty Stadium has seen his boss Steve Cooper claim that he’s a “real threat” whilst teammate Andre Ayew believes the young forward “has it all”.

The “exceptional” Englishman would be very welcome at Villa and could well be more suited to the top-flight than both Wesley and Mbwana Samatta.

Johan Lange must push ahead with this loan swoop.

AND in other news, Aston Villa selling summer signing a cold reminder of Suso’s failings

Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has made an extraordinary claim on Twitter that Everton’s offer to Carlo Ancelotti would make him one of the top three best-paid managers in European football.

Reports in The Telegraph suggest that the Toffees are closing in on appointing the Italian as Marco Silva’s successor, with a deal until the summer of 2024 on the table.

Watch Everton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Incredibly, Balague claims that the contract proposal for the 60-year-old would make him one of the highest-paid managers in Europe, which is remarkable given Everton’s standing against the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Barcelona for example.

Watch Everton vs Burnley Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

Journalist Nicolo Schira tweeted on Monday that he will earn €4.5m (£3.75m) per year on Merseyside if the contract gets signed, which is a huge show of trust and ambition from majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.

Given his wealth of experience and success during his managerial career, Ancelotti should garner respect from the players and the board as he looks to take the club forward. However, there is still no question that those are eye-watering numbers when it comes to his potential wage packet.

Everton haven’t got a lot of things right in recent years when it comes to coaching appointments and player recruitment, and they will be hoping it’s a different story if Ancelotti does indeed replace Silva.

In other Everton news, Fabrizio Romano has provided a fresh three-word update on the club’s move to appoint Ancelotti…

Celtic supporters have been left stunned by footage from one of their reported summer transfer targets this week.

Wolfsberger AC were back in action in the Austrian Bundesliga at the weekend following a near-three month absence and Shon Weissman, who has been linked with a move to Parkhead, scored an outrageous bicycle kick as his side went on to record a victory.

The clip was posted to Twitter by one fan account, and can be viewed below.

According to the reliable Mike McGrath at the Telegraph, the Scottish champions will consider a move for the 24-year-old should they lose prolific talisman Odsonne Eduoard this summer.

Going by the goal scored at the weekend, many in Glasgow are drooling over the prospect of landing him…

Weissman’s sublime finish took his tally for the 19/20 campaign to 30 goals from 31 appearances, via Transfermarkt, which includes a pair of goals against AS Roma and Borussia Monchengladbach in the Europa League group stage.

However, some are unconvinced by the footage as they have likened the situation to that of Vakoun Bayo, who joined Celtic in January 2019 and Marian Shved, who joined in the same transfer window.

The single toughest football logo quiz of all time…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Both young players are said to have similar clips uploaded on the internet that excited fans prior to their arrival. Yet neither have cemented their name down amongst Neil Lennon’s first-team.

Bayo has played a total of 364 minutes all campaign whilst Shved has managed just three substitute appearances.

There was even a shout comparing the Israeli striker to January target Andraz Sporar, who joined Sporting Lisbon instead a few months ago, as per A Bola via the Scotsman.

David Ginola and Fabian Schar were also given a mention – quite the throwback.

It remains to be seen if the Parkhead outfit hold genuine interest in Weissman, but his goalscoring record and finishing prowess simply can’t be ignored.

AND in other news, Celtic fans react to Jordon Ibe update…

West Bromwich Albion return to Championship action tonight as they host promotion-hunting Bristol City at the Hawthorns.

It kickstarts a rapid double-header in the division, and the Baggies will want to ease into December still sitting top of the Championship table.

[ad_pod ]

Last time out, Slaven Bilic’s men defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-1, thanks to a late 88th-minute penalty from substitute Charlie Austin – but did he or any other player do enough to stake a claim this evening?

Filip Krovinovic partnered Semi Ajayi in midfield on Saturday as Bilic tried to deal with the absence of regular midfield duo Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers, and with both players available again following suspension, the Croatian is likely to throw them straight back into action.

In attack, Hal Robson-Kanu should be given another opportunity to lead the line after he slotted home the Baggies’ opener with aplomb against the Owls, that was his first goal when starting this season, meaning Austin reverts back to the bench.

Ajayi should drop back into defence to continue his partnership with Kyle Bartley, before the enforced move at the weekend, the pair had recorded back-to-back clean sheets for the first time this campaign.

Bilic will be faced with a tough decision at left-back as Nathan Ferguson also returns from suspension, but he should be bold and keep Conor Townsend there despite a slight blip last time out – other than that, he’s been more than worthy of his starting spot.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Kieran Gibbs is also a shout, but he’s hardly featured in recent months.

That means the Baggies will line up with just two changes from the side that defeated Wednesday.

In other news… Should Ferguson depart in January, Bilic may already have his replacement right under his nose.

It seemed like things couldn’t get any worse for Sunderland and Phil Parkinson after yet another defeat on Saturday, that is until Aiden McGeady and Chris Maguire were caught eating McDonald’s after the defeat to Gillingham.

On the day the pair are arguably the team’s best players, and certainly amongst the most talented, but both have lost their way in recent weeks under Parkinson and now they seem to be at their lowest ebb.

The pair sat on the bench for the visit to Gills, one fan suggesting they could barely be bothered to partake in the half-time warm-up, which is perhaps why McGeady didn’t feature at all, with Maguire coming on in the last minute.

[ad_pod ]

Fans are beginning to lose patience with the duo, an understandable position to take given they are not delivering when they should be, instead, picking up their wage as the club descends further down the League One table.

The Burger King jibe comes in response to the ‘King’ nickname that Maguire goes by, and his performances last season certainly warranted such a compliment, but his form has dropped off. Last term, he scored nine and assisted seven.

More worryingly, the issue seems club-wide rather than a few players underperforming. Parkinson now has two wins from 12 with 13 goals scored, and there is no sign that things will turnaround any time soon.

This latest development indicates there is a lack of discipline too, maybe even a lack of respect, and that is perhaps what annoys fans so much, particularly as they spend a great deal to travel around the country to watch the team.

Meanwhile, the club appears to be making moves in the transfer market, with the possibility of a loan deal for a Championship striker on the cards.

Barcelona are making quite a list for the upcoming transfer windows, as it currently stands.

According to Sport, the Catalan giants have seemingly intensified their efforts to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s young prodigy, Kai Havertz, as they were watching him perform against Atletico Madrid.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Of course, the 20-year-old attacking midfielder is one of the biggest talents in modern football and the same source claims his club could value him at €100m (£86.1m), or even more than that.

Upon seeing this rumour, however, many Barcelona fans were not really sold on the idea of incorporating the young talent into their squad.

Some just don’t think he’s good enough as they compared him to the likes of Andre Gomes and Dele Alli, while others doubt Ernesto Valverde’s ability to make the most out of that potential transfer.

Either way, they don’t seem to think this is a good idea at all.

You can see some of their reactions and replies down in the collection of tweets below: